- Transparency is a strong value in our organization.
- Our culture is very clear about the criteria for confidentiality.
- Our internal policies and processes are aligned with the desirable levels of transparency and confidentiality.
Comments:
One of the difficult acts in business finance is balancing transparency with confidentiality.
- Arguably, the more transparency, the more control one has and gives.
- Transparency, paradoxically, is one of the best means of control.
- Transparency feeds accuracy.
- Transparency is one of the desirable traits in a democratic environment. However, it can be frightening and it is complicated to manage it well.
- Simplicity is a good complement to transparency.
- Transparency facilitates verification, facilitates trust.
Should the topic of confidentiality be embraced or shunned in organizations? I contend that a healthy business culture ensures that the organization embraces transparency and places it above all, while defining and respecting the boundaries of confidentiality ... Short of strong enforcement mechanisms, only those boundaries that are established for reasons that "feel" right to the people who execute to the boundaries will last...
Establishing healthy transparency and healthy boundaries in general is more likely to happen through periodic conversations and continued education in addition to aligning the internal processes with the desired level of confidentiality.
What do you see happen in your organization?
Are you able to answer "True" to the above questions?
© Copyright 2011 - Brigitte Benquet - All Rights Reserved
